Tchaikovsky & Glazunov: Violin Concertos Ivan Pochekin, Russian National Orchestra & Mikhail Pletnev

• Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840 - 1893): Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35, TH 59:
• 1 Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35, TH 59: I. Allegro moderato - Moderato assai 20:00
• 2 Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35, TH 59: II. Canzonetta. Andante 06:59
• 3 Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35, TH 59: III. Finale. Allegro vivacissimo 11:01
• Alexander Glazunov (1865 - 1936): Violin Concerto in A Minor, Op. 82:
• 4 Glazunov: Violin Concerto in A Minor, Op. 82: I. Moderato 04:37
• 5 Glazunov: Violin Concerto in A Minor, Op. 82: II. Andante sostenuto 08:13
• 6 Glazunov: Violin Concerto in A Minor, Op. 82: III. Più animato 02:41
• 7 Glazunov: Violin Concerto in A Minor, Op. 82: IV. Allegro 06:40
• Total Runtime 01:00:11

Info for Tchaikovsky & Glazunov: Violin Concertos

This recording features the works of Russian composers who were outstanding personalities in the musical life of their country during their lifetime: The Violin Concerto in D major, op. 35, by Tchaikovsky and the Violin Concerto in A minor, op. 82, by Glazunov. Each of the two composers wrote only one concerto for violin and orchestra respectively, as did Beethoven or Brahms as well. The two concertos by Tchaikovsky and by Glazunov each quickly gained admirers in the West. The image of Tchaikovsky is well-known, who closely emulated Western European music, especially music originating in Italy, France and Germany. Glazunov, who had no conservatory training, acquired his skills as a composer with Rimsky-Korsakov. He was one of the members of the “Mighty Handful” of five composers who banded together in Saint Petersburg in 1862 and called themselves novators, or innovators. They championed and strongly supported a national style of Russian classical music. There were therefore contrasts in style at the time. Yet Tchaikovsky, who was accused of “Western leanings”, was also an adherent of other contemporary Russian composers and his stance towards the novators was generally positive, though differentiated. And Glazunov, the pupil of Rimsky-Korsakov? The attitude he upheld was based on the maxim: “I am possessed by music.” To use the slightly overstated words of Vladimir Fédorov: “Glazunov can be seen as a type of musician who thinks only in musical terms, ‘feels’ through music and knows of no other interests than this music ... to him in music there is nothing else but themes, rhythms, development, form, plasticity of the musical material and tonal color of the orchestra. He thus focused almost exclusively on instrumental music, which thanks to its brilliance ensured him a special position among Russian composers of his day.”

Ivan Pochekin, violin
Russian National Orchestra
Mikhail Pletnev, conductor

Ivan Pochekin
s one of the most brilliant violinists of the Russian school in his generation. He rose to stardom in 2005 after winning the 3rd Niccolò Paganini International Violin Competition in Moscow. Ivan Pochekin has performed under the baton of such eminent conductors as Valery Gergiev, Mikhail Pletnev, Vladimir Spivakov, Vladimir Jurowski, Alexander Sladkovsky, Yuri Simonov, Vladimir Fedoseyev, Gintaras Rinkevičius, Mark Gorenstein, Friedrich Haider, Mladen Tarbuck, Sergei Skripka, Dmitry Liss, Ignat Solzhenitsyn, Jan Latham-Koenig, Fabio Mastrangelo, and Charles Olivieri-Munroe.

Ivan has participated in various festivals, among them “The Musical Kremlin,” the Moscow Easter Festival, "La Folle Journée" in Nantes, and "Pianoscope" in Beauvais. In 2008 and 2013, on Denis Matsuev’s invitation, he performed in the "Crescendo" Festival in Kaliningrad and Pskov and the “Stars on Lake Baikal” Festival in Irkutsk. In September 2014, the violinist was honored to play the legendary ex-Paganini violin by Carlo Bergonzi, provided courtesy of Maxim Viktorov’s family, during the Grand Festival of the Russian National Orchestra when he, the Russian National Orchestra and maestro Pletnev performed Niccolò Paganini’s Violin Concerto No. 2.

Over the years, Ivan Pochekin has collaborated with the Yevgeny Svetlanov State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia, the Mariinsky Theater Orchestra, the Moscow Philharmonic Academic Symphony Orchestra, the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia, the Tchaikovsky Great Symphony Orchestra, the Russian National Orchestra, the Republic of Tatarstan’s State Symphony Orchestra, the Urals Philharmonic Orchestra, the State Academic Chamber Orchestra of Russia, the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, the Republic of Korea Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra, the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra, the Sofia Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Oviedo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Deutsches Kammerorchester, and the Basel Symphony Orchestra.

In 2006, the violinist recorded music by Niccolò Paganini and Ernest Chausson on a debut CD sponsored by the Violin Art Foundation. In the same year, "PhilArtis" Vienna in Austria released an album entitled “Chanson Russe” with Ivan’s recordings of works by Sergei Prokofiev, Karol Szymanowski, Peter Tchaikovsky, Igor Stravinsky and Aram Khachaturian. In August 2011, Ivan Pochekin signed a contract with "Naxos" Records, an internationally famous classical music label, to record two albums of music by Niccolò Paganini, including his Violin Concertos No. 5 and 6 and several virtuoso violin pieces. The albums were released to receive highly enthusiastic critical acclaim.

"The disc stands out for its crisply defined recording and for the exceptional playing of Ivan Pochekin, whose pure tone, wide expressive range and precise articulation and tuning bring Paganini’s ideas vividly to life. The concerto’s Andante is especially eloquent in Pochekin’s hands and the high passagework in the outer movements has authentic force and brilliance.

The other two items are both excellent: I palpiti’s variation in double‑stopped harmonics, taken quite slowly, sounds truly beautiful. And the Moto perpetuo is just as spectacular—wonderful bow control and a lively sense of rhythm. I’m sure even Paganini himself would be impressed." (Gramophone, Duncan Druce)

"The Violin Concerto No. 5 in A minor[’s]…“Allegro maestoso” opens with majestic gravity that intermittently weaves a dialogue of flute and oboe during stretches of da capo.

“Andante un poco sostenuto” wallows with impressive pensive emotion that leads into Pochekin’s conception of the “Rondo: Andantino quasi allegretto” with its tarantella-like edge and spectacular arpeggios. The conclusive three minutes is where Ivan Pochekin shines the greatest with an array of dazzling staccatos in 6/8 rhythm which are mesmerizing and magnificent. Finally, Niccolò Paganini uses Gioacchino Rossini’s Tancredi, the melodramma eroico of 1813, as inspiration for violin extensions by honing in on title role’s cavatina, ’Di tanti palpiti.’ The variations on a theme, contained within three defined segments, allow Pochekin to let his hand set fire to his strings…singing with splendid array of Paganini panache.

Booklet for Tchaikovsky & Glazunov: Violin Concertos